A preliminary analysis of the proposed Box Elder data center found that the combined thermal output of the facility and its associated natural gas power plant could release as much heat as 23 atomic bombs per day and could raise nighttime temperatures by 8℉-12℉ throughout Hansel Valley in Northern Utah. Because the power plant is 55% efficient, Davies estimates the project would generate a total thermal load of approximately 16 gigawatts (GW)—9 GW to power the data center and an additional 7-8 GW of waste heat. To put that scale into perspective, this is the energy footprint of 40,000 Walmart Supercenters, or 23 atomic bombs worth of energy dumped into this local environment every single day, Davies says.

The project, brought by “Shark Tank” TV personality Kevin O’Leary, would span 40,000 acres, demand 9 gigawatts of power once completed, and raise the state’s carbon emissions by 64 percent, according to estimates. The entire project will actually produce roughly 16 gigawatts of thermal energy, according to Davies. In this case, the Stratos project will release roughly 16 gigawatts of thermal energy into Hansel Valley, according to Davies. That trapped thermal load is the “equivalent of about 23 atom bombs’ worth of energy dumped into this local environment every single day,” Davies said.

His analysis estimates the project would generate an additional 7 to 8 gigawatts of waste heat, bringing the total thermal load to roughly 16 gigawatts. That thermal output formed the basis of his comparison to approximately 23 Hiroshima-scale atomic bombs’ worth of energy released over a 24-hour period. The comparison refers to energy output and heat generation rather than explosive force.

One of the potentially largest data centers globally, known for its role in powering artificial intelligence, could release energy equivalent to 23 atomic bombs each day. Dr. Rob Davies, a physics professor at Utah State University, conveyed to Metro that the energy output from the planned campus and its power plant could mirror the explosive energy of 23 atomic bombs daily in the Hansel Valley. The Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), the state agency overseeing the project, clarified to Metro that the site will not draw 9 gigawatts of energy initially and that the “23 atomic bombs per day” energy calculation referenced in recent reports is a full build-out projection, while the early-phase thermal load will be significantly smaller.

The entire project will actually produce roughly 16 gigawatts of thermal energy, according to Davies. In this case, the Stratos project will release roughly 16 gigawatts of thermal energy into Hansel Valley, according to Davies. That trapped thermal load is the "equivalent of about 23 atom bombs’ worth of energy dumped into this local environment every single day," Davies said.

Spencer Cox said a proposed Box Elder data center will be limited to 1.5 Gigawatts and 2,000 acres. But O’Leary’s proposed data center would be in a category of its own. At full buildout, it would cover 40,000 acres and consume between 7.5-9 gigawatts — or twice the amount of energy used by the entire state of Utah. Utah State University physicist Robert Davies calculated a data center this big, with a dry air cooling system, would produce another 7-8 gigawatts of “waste heat,” potentially warming Box Elder’s Hansel Valley by several degrees.

Dr. Ben Abbott, a professor of ecology at Brigham Young University, and executive director of Grow the Flow, said large amounts of heat that would be created to generate up to 9 gigawatts of power at maximum scale could change the climate and ecology of the surrounding area around Box Elder County's Hansel Valley. “So in order for the power plant to give the data center 9 gigawatts, it's going to have to actually generate or burn through 16 gigawatts or so,” Davies explained. “So there's 7 or 8 gigawatts of waste heat from the power plant and then 9 gigawatts that gets used by the data center. All of that gets turned into heat and dumped into the valley. And that's very straightforward physics.”

On top of the nine gigawatts of power, the facility will produce another 7 to 8 gigawatts of energy in the form of waste heat, according to Robert Davies, a physics professor at Utah State University who shared his calculations with The Salt Lake Tribune. That brings its entire “thermal load” to a jaw-dropping 16 gigawatts. In a jaw-dropping illustration, Davies calculated that the project would be the “equivalent of about 23 atom bombs worth of energy dumped into this local environment every single day.”

A physics professor at USU explained that the 9 GW needed to power the data center will produce an additional 7-8 GW of waste heat, adding up to a 16 GW total thermal load. It’s the “equivalent of about 23 atom bombs worth of energy dumped into this local environment every single day.”

The Stratos Project, a proposed AI data center in Hansel Valley, Utah spans 40,000 acres and could consume up to 9 gigawatts of electricity at full capacity. That’s roughly double what the entire state of Utah uses today. A Utah State University physics professor calculated the daily heat output would equal the energy of 23 Hiroshima atomic bombs but that heat releases slowly over 24 hours across 62 square miles through cooling systems. The anticipated heat load is 16GW thermal load a day.

However, Davies' analysis claims the finished site could be the "equivalent of about 23 atom bombs worth of energy dumped into this local environment every single day," according to what he told The Salt Lake Tribune. Reports have said the data centre could use up to nine gigawatts of power, with Davies estimating a further seven to eight gigawatts could be released as waste heat. That would bring the overall "thermal load" to around 16 gigawatts, according to the analysis.

Expelling a gigawatt over a day generates 24 billion watt-hours of heat energy. The first ever nuclear bomb, detonated in the Trinity Test, released 27 billion watt-hours of heat energy. So a gigawatt data center releases as much heat energy into the surrounding air as a Trinity Test every single day. In the stories I’ve seen, the authors are assuming a 16 GW total thermal load will be added by this data center, 9 GW for the data center itself and an additional 7 GW expelled as waste heat by the gas turbines it uses to generate its electricity… 16 GW x 24 hours = 384 GWh, divided by 23 atom bombs gives 16.7 GWh per bomb… This is about the same as the Little Boy bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Kevin O’Leary’s 40,000-acre data center would consume 9 gigawatts daily while dumping heat equivalent to 23 atomic bombs. Utah counties just approved a data center so massive it would consume more power than the entire state currently uses, dump the heat equivalent of 23 atomic bombs daily into high desert, and potentially increase local carbon emissions by 55%. Utah State University physicist Robert Davies calculated Stratos would dump 16 gigawatts of thermal load into the surrounding valley—energy equivalent to 23 Hiroshima-scale atomic bombs worth of heat every single day.

HEAT RELEASE- A Utah State University physics professor claims the proposed Box Elder County data center could release heat equaling "23 atomic bombs" per day, while possibly raising temperatures throughout the day. In analysis shared by Grow the Flow, a nonprofit organization aimed at conserving Utah water, Dr. Rob Davies shared how the actual amount of thermal load produced by the data center is nearly twice as much as the project's developer claimed.

Utah's Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) on Friday approved a development agreement for a hyperscale data center campus in Box Elder County that could eventually consume 9 GW of power, more than double the state's current average electricity use of roughly 4 GW, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. Phase 1 alone calls for approximately 3 GW of generation capacity. At full buildout, the campus would reach 9 GW, all produced on-site through a connection to the Ruby Pipeline, a 680-mile interstate natural gas line that crosses northern Utah on its route from Wyoming to Oregon.

Concerns grew after researchers estimated the project’s combined energy use and waste heat could equal the energy output of roughly "23 atomic bombs per day." Experts say this comparison refers to accumulated heat energy over time, not actual explosions.

Utah’s proposed AI data center will produce heat equivalent to 23 atomic bombs every single day. An additional 7 to 8 gigawatts of waste heat will be dumped directly into Hansel Valley. Utah State University physics professor Robert Davies calculated the total thermal load at 16 gigawatts. “That’s the equivalent of about 23 atom bombs worth of energy dumped into this local environment every single day,” he said.

A proposed AI data center in Utah would release thermal energy equivalent to 23 atomic bombs. The proposed 'Stratos' data center in Utah’s Box Elder County represents a staggering leap in industrial scale, with developers planning a facility that requires nine gigawatts of electricity—more than twice the power currently used by the entire state. Beyond its energy consumption, the project is expected to generate seven to eight gigawatts of waste heat, creating a combined thermal load of 16 gigawatts. To put this in perspective, Utah State University physicist Robert Davies calculates the daily energy output is equivalent to detonating 23 atomic bombs.

A Utah State University physics professor says the proposed Box Elder County data center could release heat equaling "23 atomic bombs" PER DAY, while possibly raising temperatures throughout the morning and night.

Stratos will dump another 7 to 8 GW of waste heat directly into the Hansel Valley geographic bowl. Davies calculates this creates a 16 GW thermal load on a high desert environment, the "equivalent of about 23 atom bombs worth of energy dumped into this local environment every single day." The new "hyperscale" data center proposal was calculated to dump the thermal equivalent of 23 atomic bombs every day into a watershed that is already collapsing.

The facility will allegedly produce thermal energy equivalent to “23 atom bombs worth of heat every day.” The project is expected to require roughly 9 gigawatts of power — an amount reportedly equivalent to more than double Utah’s peak electricity demand recorded in 2025. Experts warn that the combined waste heat and operational energy could significantly alter the local environment.

All that electricity turns into heat. To power it off-grid, they have to build massive natural gas plants. Those are only about 50% efficient, generating another 8 gigawatts of waste heat. That gives us 17 gigawatts of continuous heat. Over 24 hours, that adds up to 1,468 terajoules of energy. The Hiroshima atomic bomb released exactly 63 terajoules. Divide 1,468 by 63 and the daily equivalent of detonated atomic bombs is 23.

The Stratos project, backed by Kevin O'Leary, aims to generate 9 gigawatts of power, but experts say the thermal footprint is unprecedented. Heat Island Effect: Physicists estimate the facility will dump ~16 gigawatts of waste heat, raising local temperatures by 8°C (14.4°F) and potentially 20°C+ during inversions. They compare this continuous thermal output to the energy of multiple atomic bombs released over each day.

Now, Utah is facing the prospect of a new hyperscale data center that will produce an astounding 16 gigawatts of energy in the form of waste heat and emissions every single day. Over a 24-hour period, the equivalent of 23 Hiroshima bombs’ worth of energy will seep into Utah’s Box Elder Valley, an area already known for its oppressive heat.

Since computers essentially function as very intricate space heaters, nearly all that energy converts into heat, resulting in 9 GW of thermal output. With gas turbines operating at only about 50% to 55% efficiency, they will produce around 8 GW of waste heat just to create the electricity. This leads to a total heat output of approximately 17 GW. Over a full day, that amounts to roughly 1,468 terajoules of energy. For context, the Hiroshima bomb has a yield of 15 kilotons TNT, which equals 63 TJ. By dividing our daily output of 1,468 TJ by 63, we find that the facility could theoretically produce the equivalent of 23.3 Hiroshima bombs each day.

It is anticipated that the facility will produce 7 to 8 gigawatts of heat, potentially raising local nighttime temperatures by 12°F and daytime temperatures by 5°F—equivalent to the thermal energy output of 23 nuclear bombs daily—while contributing to a 75% increase in Utah's greenhouse gas emissions.

The land it occupies receives daily solar energy equivalent to more than 70 Hiroshima bombs, even after accounting for atmospheric losses. This amounts to approximately one nuclear detonation every 62.6 minutes when distributed evenly throughout a 24-hour period, used as a comparison point for the proposed data center’s heat output and its "23 atomic bombs" analogy.

Projected daily heat equivalent to 23 atomic bombs… the energy footprint of the proposed data center is comparable to 40,000 Walmart Supercenters. Commenters note that “23 atomic bombs per day does not really tell me much,” pointing out that equal energy does not mean equal effects, just as both a boxer’s punch and a 9mm bullet have about 450 J of energy but very different impacts.